Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Joe Oliver, was guest speaker at the September CFCO Monthly Forum. Minister Oliver is the Conservative Party of Canada MP for the Toronto riding of Eglinton-Lawrence, and was first elected to Parliament in 2011. Minister Oliver spoke to a large audience of people from across the GTA about …

On Saturday August 17th, The Canadian Federation of Conservative Organizations was pleased to host Conservative MP Bernard Trottier at the monthly Forum. Mr. Trottier was elected in Etobicoke-Lakeshore in 2011, by defeating Michael Ignatieff, then Leader of the Opposition. This feat had not been accomplished in Canadian history since John A. MacDonald lost his seat in the federal election …

CFCO Hosts MP Menegakis at Discover Canada: Conservative Forum Toronto, ON – The Canadian Federation of Conservative Organizations (CFCO) was honoured to host Costas Menegakis, the Member of Parliament for Richmond Hill, at the monthly community town hall gathering ‘Discover Canada: Conservatism Forum’. Hundreds of new Canadians from multicultural backgrounds gathered in a gymnasium of …

After Ms. Adams’ request of just a couple weeks ago to seek the Conservative Party nomination in a new seat, I informed her in writing on January 29th that she would not be permitted to run for our Party in the next election due to the misconduct from the Oakville North-Burlington nomination race.

I communicated clearly that our Party takes our nomination rules and procedures seriously, and we made a commitment to run fair and open nominations, and any misconduct from candidates, including caucus members, would not be tolerated.

In the last election, the people of Mississauga Brampton-South elected a Conservative MP to focus on their priorities – creating jobs, reducing taxes and providing benefits directly to families. They clearly rejected the Liberals high tax, high debt agenda.

TORONTO, May 1, 2014 /CNW/ – The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is deeply concerned with the government’s direction in the 2014 budget to increase taxes, shift away from fiscal restraint and impose a forced retirement plan on Ontarians. In particular, CFIB is vehemently opposed to the proposed Ontario Retirement Pension Plan, which will hurt small business owners and their employees by taxing everyone who issues and receives a paycheque and does not currently have a workplace pension. “In one of the worst Ontario budgets ever, the government is picking the pockets of Ontarians, especially the middle class, to pay for it,” said CFIB’s president Dan Kelly.

Ontario Retirement Pension Plan (ORPP): If implemented, the ORPP would require mandatory contributions from employers and employees of 1.9 per cent each on earnings, starting in 2017. As a result, an individual earning $50,000 per year would take home almost $1,000 less, with the same amount deducted from their employer. “The majority of Ontarians who are struggling to save for their retirement simply can’t afford to,” added Kelly. “Hitting them with a higher payroll tax deduction on their paycheque is not going to help them.”

A recent CFIB survey of almost 3,200 small businesses, found that 79 per cent are opposed to a new mandatory pension plan, with two-thirds saying they would freeze or cut salaries and 42 per cent would reduce the number of jobs. “It doesn’t matter whether you call it a premium or an investment, a mandatory pension contribution on top of the CPP is a new payroll tax on jobs and will result in wage and job losses,” noted CFIB’s Ontario vice president Plamen Petkov. “This is a terrible idea, even worse than the recently-debated CPP expansion. It will put Ontario businesses at a competitive disadvantage to those in provinces which choose not to join this pension scheme.”

Deficit reduction: CFIB is alarmed that the government has increased program spending by 3.7 per cent over the last year, when it should have kept it to 1 per cent as per the Drummond Commission recommendations. “The province insists it will eliminate the deficit by 2017-18, but it continues to miss interim targets and relies heavily on potential economic growth to balance the books. Instead, it should seriously commit to reining in spending and legislating a freeze on public sector wages and benefits,” said Petkov.

Infrastructure spending: About 84 per cent of small business owners expect new infrastructure and transit projects to be funded by using existing revenue, not by hiking taxes. While some existing revenue streams have been dedicated to transit funds, the budget also increases personal and business income taxes, among others.

Red Tape: The budget re-affirms the government’s commitment to continue working with CFIB on reducing the regulatory burden on small business. “However, any potential gains from cutting red tape will be completely offset by the impact the new pension plan would have on small firms and their employees,” concluded Petkov.

CFIB is also disappointed that no action was taken to address other important small business concerns, such as repealing mandatory WSIB insurance for business owners and independent operators in construction, reducing high apprenticeship ratios, and providing an immediate relief by cutting skyrocketing hydro rates.

CFIB is Canada’s largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 109,000 members across every sector and region.

SOURCE Canadian Federation of Independent Business

For further information:
please call Gisele Lumsden at 647-808-5769 or public.affairs@cfib.ca.

Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Joe Oliver, was guest speaker at the September CFCO Monthly Forum. Minister Oliver is the Conservative Party of Canada MP for the Toronto riding of Eglinton-Lawrence, and was first elected to Parliament in 2011.

Minister Oliver spoke to a large audience of people from across the GTA about how he first entered politics and how it took more than one attempt for him to win his seat. Determination, hard work, and spending a lot of time in the community is what finally made the difference for him.

Much of Mr. Oliver’s speech centred on the work he and the Conservative government are doing in the area of Natural Resource Development. While Canada is fortunate to have a large customer for our products south of the border, there is a need to diversify our export base and delivery options. Canada must develop new markets and build the infrastructure needed to ensure our resources are able to reach those markets safely and effectively. The safest and most efficient means to move petroleum products is through pipelines.

Minister Oliver remained to answer numerous questions and have photos taken following his speech. We are very grateful for having him speak to our group.

On Saturday August 17th, The Canadian Federation of Conservative Organizations was pleased to host Conservative MP Bernard Trottier at the monthly Forum. Mr. Trottier was elected in Etobicoke-Lakeshore in 2011, by defeating Michael Ignatieff, then Leader of the Opposition. This feat had not been accomplished in Canadian history since John A. MacDonald lost his seat in the federal election of 1878.

Bernard is a member of the Greater Toronto Area Conservative Caucus, and serves on the Government Operations & Estimates and Official Languages Committees. He brings his business background to Parliament in support of economic development in the GTA and across Canada.

Bernard spoke to the enthusiastic crowd about how he first became involved in politics, stressing the importance of becoming a volunteer and participating in the democratic process. His speech also covered issues of importance to all Canadians, from responsible natural resource development to how Canada has been improving immigration policies to better serve the needs of this country.

Following his speech, Bernard was kind enough to stay and answer many questions and talk to those in attendance.

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Federation of Conservative Organizations (CFCO) was honoured to host Costas Menegakis, the Member of Parliament for Richmond Hill, at the monthly community town hall gathering ‘Discover Canada: Conservatism Forum’.

Hundreds of new Canadians from multicultural backgrounds gathered in a gymnasium of the North York Chinese Community Church in Toronto on a Saturday afternoon, where they a unique opportunity to meet MP Menegakis and learned a great deal about our national politics and federal institutions, and also asked questions regarding issues of the day, including the 2013 Budget.

Following an animated discussion that covered a wide range of topics, such as education, taxes, immigration, the economy and how the Parliament works, MP Menegakis remarked, “This town hall meeting symbolizes the best of Canada. Many new Canadians here came from places where tyrants set the rules. But now as citizens of the greatest nation with guaranteed political liberties, including freedom of speech, they are now participating in the discourse on national affairs.”

“These monthly gatherings are very important for the health of Canada’s democracy”, said CFCO Chair Harry Tsai. “With increasingly lower voter turn outs and general apathy about national politics, Canada needs a well informed and active citizenry more than ever. I encourage not only new but older Canadians to come out to our next meeting.”

Beginning January 2, 2013, skilled worker applicants may apply to the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program with 12 months of Canadian work experience, a year sooner than the previously required 24 months. In addition, graduates now have more time to earn their one year of work experience – up to 36 months, compared to only 24 months previously.

“The CEC helps Canada attract the immigrants our economy requires: individuals who have valuable Canadian work experience and the necessary skills to benefit our country’s current labour market needs,” said Minister Kenney. “These skilled workers are set for success and expediting their transition to permanent residence will help Canada to respond to ongoing labour market challenges.”

This improvement makes the program more flexible for applicants, particularly for skilled worker applicants who will be eligible to qualify for permanent residency more quickly. International students will benefit by gaining more time to acquire the necessary experience to apply for permanent residency.

Through the CEC, which was created in 2008, Canada has admitted more than 20,000 international students and skilled workers. In 2013, CIC intends to accept a record high of up to 10,000 permanent residents through this program. This is a significant increase from the 2545 who were admitted in 2009.

“The government is committed to creating a fast and flexible immigration system that works for Canada’s economy,” added Minister Kenney. “The CEC has become Canada’s fastest growing economic immigration program and is part of our plan to attract the best and brightest from around the world.”

Building a stronger Canada: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) strengthens Canada’s economic, social and cultural prosperity, helping ensure Canadian safety and security while managing one of the largest and most generous immigration programs in the world.

A delegation of 15 young members of the Canadian Federation of Conservative Organization traveled to the Nation’s Capital last week, to witness firsthand Canadian democracy in action, and to participate in workshops to prepare in becoming tomorrow’s leaders in the Conservative movement.

On the first day of this two-day exclusive trip, the Hon. Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Paul Calandra, MP for Markham Oak-Ridges, CS Leung, MP for Willowdale, and Conservative Party officials warmly welcomed the delegation to the Hill, and arranged private ‘behind the scenes’ tour of Parliament, providing the delegation an unprecedented opportunity to observe what Conservative Members of Parliament do on a regular basis in representing their constituents and to insure that Canada’s economy remains in top shape.

After the private tour while dining in the Parliamentary Restaurant among Canada’s legislators, many remarked that they are inspired to engage more in public affairs, felt a renewed sense of patriotism and acquired a deeper appreciation for Canada’s democracy, which is the envy of the world.

On the second day, the delegation participated in highly productive workshops led by three distinguished officials in the Conservative movement. The workshops imbued our delegation a strong sense of responsibility and duty as citizens, to become more active and vocal in supporting and spreading the Conservative message in our communities. In addition, the workshops provided our delegation with practical knowledge and tools on what they can do, to ensure that the Conservative Party led by Prime Minister Harper can win the next election for another strong, national and majority mandate.

Conservative values are Canada’s values. Our delegation is now excited and ready to lead the next generation.

Ottawa, September 10, 2012 — The Government of Canada’s investigation into residence fraud continues to grow, with nearly 11,000 individuals potentially implicated in lying to apply for citizenship or maintain permanent resident status.

“We are applying the full strength of Canadian law to those who have obtained citizenship fraudulently,” said Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney. “Canadian citizenship is not for sale. We are taking action to strip citizenship and permanent residence status from people who don’t play by the rules and who lie or cheat to become a Canadian citizen.”

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has begun the process to revoke the citizenship of up to 3,100 citizens who obtained it fraudulently. Minister Kenney first announced the investigations last year. CIC is working closely with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and Canadian offices abroad to tackle this fraud.

“Today’s announcement is the end-result of the hard work done by the RCMP and CBSA, and they should be congratulated for their dedicated effort in bringing these charges forward,” said Canada’s Public Safety Minister Vic Toews. “These efforts reinforce our government’s commitment to protecting the integrity of our immigration system.”

The Department has also been working on cases of those who are not yet citizens. Nearly 5,000 people with permanent resident status who are known to be implicated in residence fraud have been flagged for additional scrutiny should they attempt to enter Canada or obtain citizenship. The majority of these individuals are believed to be outside the country.

Permanent residents must reside in Canada for three years out of four years prior to applying for Canadian citizenship. To retain their status as permanent residents, they must be physically present in Canada for two out of five years with few exceptions.

In typical cases, permanent residents will use the services of an unscrupulous immigration representative to fraudulently establish evidence of residence in Canada while living abroad most, if not all, of the time. This is perpetrated so that individuals can fraudulently maintain their permanent residence status and later apply for citizenship. RCMP and CBSA criminal investigations have found that a family of five may pay upwards of $25,000 over four or more years to create the illusion of Canadian residence.

Finally, CIC has flagged the files of another 2,500 individuals where, for various reasons, there are concerns. These individuals will be watched closely should they make future applications. This makes a total of nearly 11,000 individuals tied to citizenship and residence fraud investigations.

To date, CIC and its partners have removed or denied admittance to over 600 former permanent residents linked to the investigations, and have denied about 500 citizenship applications where the applicants do not meet the residence requirements. Almost 1,800 applicants linked to the investigations have abandoned their citizenship applications as word about these investigations spreads.

“We will not stand by and allow people to lie and cheat their way into becoming citizens,” added Minister Kenney. “I encourage anyone who has information regarding citizenship fraud to call our tip line to report it. There is no time limit for investigating this type of fraud.”

Over the past six years, Canada has had the highest sustained level of immigration in Canadian history. The Government of Canada is committed to creating an immigration system that brings the world’s best and brightest to Canada while protecting our immigration system against those who would abuse our generosity.

Cases involving false representation, fraud or knowingly concealing material circumstances in the citizenship process—for example, pretending to be present in Canada to meet the residence requirements for obtaining citizenship—should be referred to the citizenship fraud tip line at CIC’s Call Centre at 1-888-242-2100 (in Canada only, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday). Tips may also be reported by email at Citizenship-fraud-tips@cic.gc.ca. Those overseas can also contact the nearest Canadian visa office.

All other types of immigration fraud can be reported to the CBSA’s Border Watch Tip Line at1-888-502-9060. Tips accepted by the Border Watch Tip Line include, but are not limited to, suspicious cross-border activity, marriages of convenience, misrepresentation in any temporary or permanent immigration application, or the whereabouts of any person wanted on an immigration warrant.

TORONTO – The Chinese-Canadian Federation of Conservative Organizations would like to extend congratulations to Chairman Harry Tsai. Harry who was awarded with a Queens Jubilee Medal by the Honorable C.S. Leung, M.P. for Willowdale.

The commemorative medal was created to mark the 2012 celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the Throne as Queen of Canada. The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal is a tangible way for Canada to honour Her Majesty for her service to this country. At the same time, it serves to honour significant contributions and achievements by Canadians.

“I am deeply honoured to receive this award, and I know that the achievements made by CFCO to Canada and our community over the past year could not have been done without so many dedicated members and volunteers.” said Tsai, who added “This medal belongs to them too.”